Heating apparatus



Ap 16, 1940. a. some HEATING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 24, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR fir/enmwaaaea BY I 1 I 64 ATTRNEY April 16, 1940. a. GOERG HEATING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 24, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet :5

INVENTOR n I n a I I I I I l I u u n I I n l n 1 Patented Apr. 16, 1940 v UNITED STATES HEATING APPARATUS Bernard Goerg, Scarsdale, N. Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to American Radiator &

Standard Sanitary Corporation,

New York,

N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application December 24, 1937, Serial No. 181,654

10 Claims.

This invention relates to heating apparatus, and more particularly to combustion chambers for boilers fired by fluid fuel.

The objects of my invention are to provide apparatus of the above-mentioned type which is of improved construction and arrangement of parts; one which makes possible a more eflicient combustion of the fuel and a more efficient operation of the boiler; one which is simple and inexpensive to construct and install; and one which can be readily adjusted so as to provide for the most eflicient operation of the particular fluid fuel burner with which it is installed.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, to be more fully described hereinafter, and the novelty of which will be particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, to be taken as a part of this specification, I have fully and clearly illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, in which drawings- Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of heating apparatus constructed in accordance with one preferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal plan section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section on the line 34 of Fig. 1 with certain'of the parts being broken away;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical section similar to Fig. l and showing a modified form of installation;

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Referring now in detail to the construction illustrated and first to the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, the reference character indicates a boiler which is of conventional design and is here shown-as being composed of a front section II, a rear section l2, and a pluraltegral casting with a hollow interior space therein. The sections are secured, together to form a rigid boiler unit by the usual tie rods It. The hollow interior spaces of the sections communicate with one another to provide a water space 05 for the boiler, as is well known. The sections are so formed and arranged as to provide vertical boiler side walls l6, i1, 18, and I9, which define a combustion space open at the bottom. The sections are also so formed as to provide flue gas passages 2|, through which the the boiler. o

The boiler unit it) described above is a stand- 1 ard form of commercial boiler which may be readily used with any type of fuel burning equipment. In accordance with the present invention, I combine with this standard boiler a unitary supplemental combustion chamber 28 in which any type of fluid fuel, for example, oil or gas, may be burned in an efiicient manner. The combustion chamber 28 is arranged beneath the boiler l0 and is open at the top so that it is in free communication with the combustion space 2|], as shown.

The combustion chamber 28 comprises upright outer side walls 3|], 3|, 32, and 33, and a bottom wall 34. The side wall 30 is advantageously 25 arranged beneath and supports the side wall H6 at the front of the boiler; the side walls 32 and 33 are arranged beneath and support the side walls l8 and I9, respectively, of the boiler; and the side wall 3| extends transversely of the boiler at points spaced. forwardly from the wall H which is at the rear of the boiler. The space at the lower rear end of the combustion space 20 and between the walls I! and 3| is advantageously closed by a cast-metal plate 35 extending beneath the rear part of the boiler side walls [8 and I9, and beneath the wall I! and over the upper edge of the outer wall 3i of the combustion chamber. The size of this space between the walls l1 and 3t will vary with different installations. For larger boilers and larger heating capacities, more intermediate sections l3 will be used and this space will be larger and a larger plate 35 will be necessary. For smaller boilers, fewer intermediate sections l3 will be used and a smaller plate 35 may be used; and, in very small boilers, the boilerwall I! may rest on the combustion chamber wall 3| and the plate 35 omitted entirely.

From the above, it will be apparent that in all installations, the boiler III is supported mainly by the upper part of the walls 30, 32, and 33 of the combustion chamber. In order to support the overhanging rear part of the larger boilers and also in order to support the rear of the plate 35, a pair of vertically arranged supporting posts 36 are provided at the sides and at the rear of the boiler, and these posts extend between the floor 24 and the underside of the rear corners of the plate 35.

The upright outer side walls 30, 3|, 32, and 33 and the outer bottom wall 34 of the combustion chamber are advantageously formed as an integral casting having a hollow interior water space 31 coextensive with its side and bottom walls. The lower and upper parts of the space 31 are connected, respectively, by pipes 38 and 39 with the water space l5 of the boiler, so as to provide gravity or thermo-syphonic circulation of boiler water through the space 31. In Figs. 1 to 3, the pipe 38 is shown as being connected to a lower part of the boiler water space and the pipe 39 to an upper part of the water space; but, as will later appear, other means of connecting the combustion chamber water space and the boiler water space may be used without departing from the present invention.

- In accordance with the present invention, the interior of the combustion chamber is defined by a plurality of inner wall members spaced from the outer walls and preferably comprising a plurality of upright metallic side liner plates 40, 4|, 42, and 43, and a metallic bottom liner plate 44. While in so far as the broader aspects of the present invention are concerned, the liner plates may be formed of any suitable metal, I prefer that they be of a suitable heat resistant steel; for example, an alloy steel having a substantial percentage of nickel and chromium. The plates 40, 4|, 42, and 43 are spaced inwardly from and are arranged parallel to the outer side walls 30, 3|, 32, and 33, respectively; and the bottom plate 44 is spaced inwardly from and is parallel to the outer bottom wall 34.

The bottom liner plate 44 is supported in its spaced relation with respect to the wall 34 by a plurality of upwardly extending flanges 41 formed integral with the bottom wall 34. All of the side liner plates 40, 4|, 42, and 43 canbe supported at their respective lower edges by the bottom plate 44, inwardly extending bottom flanges 48 on the side plates being provided for this purpose. The bottom flanges 48 also serve to strengthen the plates 40, 4|, 42, and 43 and thereby prevent their warping. The side liner plates 40, 42, and 43 are held in spaced relation with respect to their respective walls 30, 32, and 33 by vertically arranged and inwardly extending flanges 49 formed integral with the latter Walls. The plates 42 and 43 which extend from front to rear of the combustion chamber are held against their respective flanges 49 by the plates 40 and 4| which engage, respectively, at their outer vertical edges the forward and rearward inner surfaces of the plates 42 and 43. The plate 40 is held against its flanges 49 by vertical angles 50 suitably spot welded to the forward part of the inner surfaces of the plates 42 and 43, respectively.

In accordance with the present invention, means is provided for supporting the plate 4| in its vertical position at any one of a number of points so that the interior length dimension of the combustion chamber between plates 4|] and 4| may be varied, for a pu pose which will presently appear. The maximum distance between plates 40 and 4| is provided when the plate 4| is placed directly adjacent the wall 3|. In this position, the plate 4| will be held in spaced relation with respect to the wall 4| by inwardly extending vertical flanges 52 formed integral with the wall 3|. The plate 4| will be held against the flanges 52 by upper and lower tabs 53 and 54, respectively, extending inwardly from the rear parts of both the plates 42 and 43. Each of the plates 42 and 43 is also provided with spaced pairs of upper and lower tabs 55 and 56 spaced forwardly from the tabs 53 and 54, respectively. The tabs of each pair are spaced apart a distance slightly larger than the width of the plate 4| and the tabs are so arranged that the space between the tabs of each pair lies in the same transverse vertical plane as the space between the corresponding lower pair of tabs on the same liner plate and as the spaces between corresponding upper and lower tabs on the other liner plate, so that the plate 4| may be inserted vertically downward in the spaces between corresponding pairs of upper and lower tabs on the side liner plates 42 and 43 and be held thereby in its vertical adjusted position. In the drawings, the plate 4| is shown as being held by the rearward pairs of upper and lower tabs 55 and 56. If desired, the plate 4| may be held by the forward pairs of upper and lower tabs 55 and 56, or it may be held against the flanges 52 on the wall 3|, as previously described. If desired, additional pairs of spaced upper and lower tabs 55 and 56 may be provided so as to provide for additional positional adjustment of the plate 4|.

Also, in accordance with the present invention, I provide for the introduction of a stream of fluid fuel through the outer water cooled wall 30 and the adjacent liner plate 40. When ignited, the stream of burning fuel extends across the interior of the chamber 28 and towards the liner plate 4|, the position of which may be adjusted, as previously described. As shown, the upright outer side wall 30 and the adjacent liner plate 49 are provided with aligned openings 60 and GI, respectively, the axis of which extend substantially normal to the plane of the plate 4|. I provide a fluid fuel burner 62 which is here shown to be a gun-type oil burner having a fuel discharge tube 83 extending through the aligned openings BI] and 6| and terminating at the inner surface of the plate 40. The tube 63 is shown as also extending through an opening 64 in the jacket 23 which is aligned with the open- 0 ings 60 and 6| and the remaining portions of the burner 62 are supported by the floor 24 exteriorly of the jacket 25.

As is well known, the fuel burning rate of the burner will be varied to suit the capacity of the boiler and the particular installation. The flame from the burner is indicated in Fig. 1. The plate 4| is shown as being preferably positioned with the tip of the frame just short of the inner surface of the plate. This provides for the most eflicient combustion of the fuel; for, if the tip of the flame were substantially short of the plate, it would become chilled, and, if the tip of the flame should strike the plate, carbon deposits would result, and also the plate 4| would likely become damaged. For a smaller capacity boiler, the burner will be adjusted to operate at a lower fuel burning rate and the flame will be shorter. The plate may then be advantageously positioned in the spaces between the forward upper and lower pairs of tabs 55 and 56. Also, for a larger capacty boiler, the burner will be adjusted to operate at a higher fuel burning rate, and the flame will be longer than that indicated. In the latter case, the plate 4| will be placed the same fuel burning rate. Therefore, my improved combustion chamber may be readily adapted to burners with different flame characteristics, as well as different fuel burning rates of the same burner.

From the above, it will be apparent that I have 1 provided a combustion chamber whose size may be regulated with relation to the length of the flame and with relation to the fuel burning rate of the burner, so as to provide for eflicient combustion of fuel in a variety of different installations. A further structural feature, which aids in promoting emcient combustion of the fuel and in the efllcient operation of the boiler, is the novel relationship between the water cooled outer side and bottom walls and the side and bottom metallic liner plates. As the water space of the outer side and bottom walls is connected to the boiler water space, heat normally lost by radiation and otherwise to the conventional ceramic refractory combustion chamber, is conserved. This latter feature in itself is not new; but in the prior art water cooled combustion chambers, it has been difiicult to maintain a sufflciently high combustion chamber temperature so that the oil may be burned efliciently. This difllculty with the prior art combustion chambers is overcome by the provision of the refractory steel liners 40, ll, 42, 43, and 44. The liners are spaced inwardly from the outer side and bottom walls sufllciently to prevent their being unduly cooled by the boiler water circulating therethrough, and for that reason the inner surfaces of my combustion chamber will heat up quickly and provide for the necessary high combustion chamber temperature in order to burn the fuel efflciently. The quick heating of the inner walls is made possible by the refractory quality of the liner plates and also due to the fact that their mass is relatively small. Combustion chambers provided by structures having relatively larger mass, such as the prior art ceramic refractory cham-- ber, require a much longer time to heat up. The quick heating of the present structure is of particular advantage in cases where the operating periods of the burner are relatively short. In certain installations it may be found that the liner plates are still cooled too much by the proximity of the water cooled outer walls. In such cases, a layer of refractory cement (not shown) may be inserted between the walls and plates, and the above described advantages derived from the novel combination of an outer water cooled wall and an inner spaced metallic liner plate will still be obtained.

In addition to the above-outlined advantages of the present burner over the prior art structures, it may be noted that my improved construction eliminates the necessity of the supporting base usually provided for the boiler. The improved combustion chamber provides both an efiicient combustion chamber and a support for the boiler. The joints between the lower edges of the boiler walls and the combustion chamber walls and plate 35 are sealed by any suitable material to prevent air leaks.

In Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, I have shown an application of my improved combustion chamber to a boiler, where the fluid fuel burner is arranged at the rear of the boiler and inside of a space provided between the rear of the boiler and vide a space 85 for receiving the burner.

an enclosing jacket. .lI have also illustrated a slightly modified way of connecting the combustion chamber water space and the boiler water space. a

The combustion chamber is indicated at 28a and its details of construction and its advan-v tages are the same as those previously described I in connection with the combustionqchamber 28, the difference between the two being that the position of the combustion chamber 28a with respect to the boiler lfla has beenreversed. The outer wall 3la. and adjustable liner plate lla are arranged adjacentthewall lia at the front of the boiler, and the outer wall 30a and liner plate 40a with their'aligned openings 60a and ila, respectively, are arranged adjacent the wall I la at the rear of the boiler. The outer side wall is beneath and supports the boiler wall Ida, and the outer wall 32a is beneath and supports the boiler wall l9a.

In Figs. 4 and 5, the outer wall 3la is spaced rearwardly from the lower edge of the wall We, and a cast metal plate 35a serves to close this space. Also the outer wall 30a is shown as being spaced inwardly from the wall Ila. A sheet metal plate having a flange 8| bolted to the lower end of wall Ila, extends between the latter and the upper surface of wall 300. As shown, a covering of ceramic refractory 82 may be provided for the plate 80, and the two form a closure for the space between walls l'la and 30a.

In Figs. 4 and 5, the discharge tube 63a extends beneath the plate 80 and those rear portions of the boiler which overhang the combustion chamber, and as a result the remaining portions of the burner 62a may be located closely adjacent the rear of the boiler. The jacket 23a includes a rear vertical wall portion 86 which is spaced from the rear of the boiler so as to pro- This construction makes possible a highly compact boiler-burner unit which is all enclosed by a jacket which is pleasing in appearance.

The pipes 38a and 39a are shown as being connected to the bottom of the water space of the boiler Illa and at opposite sides thereof, thereby providing for the thermo-syphonic circulation of boiler water through the hollow outer walls of the combustion chamber. The pipes 38a and 39a are relatively short and are also enclosed by the jacket 23a.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In heating apparatus, the combination of I a boiler having a water space and including walls defining a combustion space;

a combustion chamber communicating with said combustion space and including outer side walls joined together and formed with hollow interior water spaces; means connecting the water spaces of the side wall with the boiler water space; metallic side plates spaced inwardly. of said outer side walls and having their inner surfaces defining the combustion chamber; at least two of said plates being arranged in opposed relation at opposite sides of the chamber; a fluid fuel'burner extending through an outer side wall and one of the last-named plates and being arranged to direct a stream of burning fuel across said chamber and toward the other of said last-named plates; and means providing for movement of said other plate toward and away from said one plate so as to regulate the size of combustion chamber with relation to the length of the burner flame.

2. In heating apparatus, the combination of a boiler having an interior water space and including walls defining a combustion space; means providing an open top combustion chamber communicating with said combustion space and including a unitary cast metal structure forming hollow upright outer side walls and a hollow bottom wall for said combustion chamber and the hollow interior of said walls being in communication with the water space of said boiler; metallic liner plates spaced inwardly from said outer side and bottom walls respectively and arranged so that their inner surfaces define the combustion chamber; at least two of said plates being arranged in substantially parallel planes at opposite sides of said chamber; means providing for the introduction of fluid fuel through one of said two liner plates and in directions extending across said chamber and toward the other of said two liner plates; and means providing for moving said other plate towards and away from said one plate so as to regulate the size of the combustion chamber with relation to the length of the burner flame.

3. In heating apparatus, the combination of a boiler having an interior hollow water space and walls defining a combustion space; a combustion chamber communicating with said combustion space and comprising hollow upright side walls and a hollow bottom wall having their interior spaces connected to the water space of the boiler for the circulation of boiler water therethrough; metallic liner plates spaced inwardly from said hollow side and bottom walls respectively and forming the inner defining wall surfaces for said combustion chamber; a fluid fuel burner extending through one of said hollow side walls and an adjacent liner plate and arranged to direct a stream of burning fuel across said chamber and toward a liner plate arranged at the opposite side of said chamber and extending transversely of the direction of flow of the fuel; and means providing for changing the position of said lastnamed liner plate so as to vary the distance between said plate and said burner and thereby vary the size of the combustion chamber to suit the fuel burning characteristics of the burner.

4. In heating apparatus, the combination of a boiler having an interior hollow water space and comprising walls defining a combustion space.

open at the bottom; an open-top supplemental combustion chamber arranged beneath and communicating with said combustion space; said supplemental combustion chamber comprising opposed outside hollow side walls and a hollow bottom wall having their-hollow interior spaces communicating with one another; means connecting the hollow interior of said hollow side and bottom walls with the water space of said boiler to provide for circulation of boiler water therethrough; opposed steel side liner plates and a steel bottom liner plate arranged parallel to and spaced inwardly from said opposed outer hollow side walls and bottom wall, respectively, and pro viding the interior defining surface of said supplemental combustion chamber; a fluid fuel burner extending through one of said hollow side walls and the adjacent side plate and arranged to direct a stream of burning fuel toward the side plate at the opposite side of said chamber; and means providing for movement of said lastnamed plate toward and away from said burner to regulate the size of the combustion chamber with relation to the fuel burning characteristics of the burner.

5. In heating apparatus, the combination of a boiler having a water space and including upright side walls defining a combustion space open at the bottom; a combustion chamber arranged beneath said boiler and open at the top to communicate with said combustion space; the combustion chamber including upright hollow outer side walls, the interior of which communicate with the boiler water space, and bottom wall joining said side walls; one side wall of the combustion chamber being spaced inwardly from one of the side walls of the boiler; wall means closing the space between the upper edge of said one combustion chamber side wall and the lower edge of said one boiler side wall; metallic liner plates spaced inwardly from said combustion chamber side walls and arranged to define the interior space of said combustion chamber; a fluid fuel burner of the gun type including a discharge tube arranged beneath said wall means and operable to discharge fluid fuel through said one combustion chamber side wall and the adjacent liner plate and into the combustion chamber; and jacket means enclosing said boiler, said combustion chamber, and said burner.

6. A unitary supplemental combustion chamber for use with boilers and comprising upright outer side walls having interior water spaces which'are adapted to be connected to a boiler so that boiler water may circulate therethrough; metallic liner plates spaced inwardly from said outer side walls and arranged so that their inner surfaces define the combustion chamber; two of said plates being arranged in opposed relation and at opposite sides of said combustion chamber; one of said last-named plates and the adjacent outer side wall having aligned openings therein adapted to receive the fuel discharge of a fluid fuel burner; and means providing for the adjustment of the other of said last-named plates toward and away from said one plate so as to vary the distance therebetween.

7. A unitary supplemental combustion chamber for use with boilers and comprising upright outer side walls and a bottom wall joined rigidly together and having interior water spaces which are adapted to be connected to a boiler so that boiler water may circulate therethrough; metallic side liner plates and a metallic bottom liner plate spaced inwardly from said outer side and bottom walls respectively and being so arranged that their inner surfaces define the combustion chamber; two of said side liner plates being arranged in opposed relation at opposite sides of said chamber; one of said last-named plates and the adjacent outer side wall having aligned openings therein adapted to receive the fuel discharge of a fluid fuel burner; and means providing for adjusting the other of said last-named plates towards and away from said one plate so as to vary the distance therebetween.

8. A unitary supplemental combustion chamber adapted to be arranged beneath and communicate with the combustion space of a standard boiler, and comprising upright outer side walls and an outer bottom wall joined together to form a unit and being formed with interior water spaces adapted to be connected to the boiler for the circulation of boiler water therethrough; and metallic liner plates spaced inwardly of said outer side and bottom walls respectively and so arranged that their inner surfaces deflne the supplemental combustion chamber; one of saidouter side walls and the adjacent a plane extending transversely of the axis of said openings and being adjustable toward and away from said openings.

9. A combustion chamber having a fuel opening adapted to receive the fuel discharge of a fluid fuel burner, and comprising upright outer side walls formed with interior spaces through which water is adapted to circulate; upright metallic liner plates spaced inwardly from the outer side walls and defining with their inner surfaces the space into which the combustible fluid fuel is introduced; and means for positioning one of said liner plates at different distances from its adjacent outer sidewalls so as to provide for varying the size of combustion space defined by said plates.

10. A combustion chamber having a fuel opening in one side thereof adapted to receive the fuel discharge of a fluid fuel burner and comprising upright outer side walls formed with interior spaces through which water is adapted to circulate; metallic liner plates spaced inwardly from said outer side walls and arranged so that their inner surfaces define the space into which the combustible fluid fuel is introduced; one of said liner plates being arranged at the side of the combustion chamber opposite to said fuel opening and transversely of the intended direction of flow of fuel; and means for positioning said one liner plate at any one of a number of distances from said fuel opening so as to provide for varying the size of the combustion chamber.

BERNARD GOERG. 

